Male Young Athletes Research Articles

Assessing Change of Direction Ability in Young Male Athletes: A Comparative Analysis of Change of Direction Deficit and Change of Direction Total Time

This study aimed to explore the relationship between change of direction deficit (CODD), change of direction total time (CODTT), and linear sprint time and to compare the differences between CODD and CODTT in assessing an athlete’s change of direction (COD) ability. Forty-four highly trained male young athletes underwent Y-shaped pre-planned agility, Pro-agility, and 30 m linear sprint tests. The results showed a moderate to highly significant correlation between CODTT and linear speed time at 0–5 m, 0–10 m, and 0–30 m (r = 0.5–0.8), while there was no statistically significant relationship between CODD and linear speed time at 0–5 m and 0–10 m (r = 0.0–0.3). CODD and CODTT were moderate to highly correlated (r = 0.4–0.8), with CODD for 180° COD showing a higher predictive value for CODTT compared to 45° COD (14–35% vs. 49–63%). Additionally, 13–22% of the participants showed opposing results for COD ability when comparing the standardized Z-score of Pro-agility 0–10 m CODTT and CODD. Pro-agility 0–10 m CODD also resulted in a higher asymmetry ratio (2% vs. 7%) and COD ability imbalances (0% vs. 38%) than Pro-agility 0–10 m CODTT. In conclusion, CODD may provide a more accurate assessment of an athlete’s COD ability than CODTT.

Quality of Diet and Nutritional Status on Male Young Athletes in Central Java

Fulfilling energy and nutritional intake that is not in accordance with dietary recommendations and nutritional guidelines will affect the quality of athlete’s diet. Preliminary study results that an average of athlete’s energy consumption only 74% of the recommended energy requirement and 8% athletes are undernutrition. This study aims to evaluate the quality of the diet and sufficiency of energy and nutrition and to determine the relationship with the nutritional status of young male athletes. This study was conducted in 2019. Kind of this study is observational analytic, which using a cross sectional design to 85 young male athletes of the Central Java Student Sports Education and Training Center from 9 kind of sports (takraw, weightlifting, swimming, fencing, basketball, rowing, volleyball, soccer, and athletics). The subjects were measured of their weight, height, fat mass, and waist circumference and then determined their nutritional status (BMI age, body fat percentage, and height ratio). Energy and nutritional sufficiency were obtained by interview using the Semi-Quantitative FFQ, and data of food quality were obtained by using the Diet Quality Indexs International (DQI-I) questionnaire. Data analysis used the Spearman Rank Test with a significance level (α) 0.05 and a confidence level of 95% CI. The results showed that the quality of the foods (p = 0.144; 0362; and 0296), as well as the sufficient energy and nutrients (p = 0.143; 0410; 0608; 0153; 0735; 0836; 0222; 0533; 0326; 0553; 0392; and 0308 ) but they were not related to nutritional status (BMI age, body fat percentage, and WtHR). It was concluded that the quality of the diet was related to energy and nutritional sufficiency, but both of them do not show a significant relationship with the nutritional status of young male athletes of Province of Central Java.

Effects of Adding Small Combat Games to Regular Taekwondo Training on Physiological and Performance Outcomes in Male Young Athletes.

This study investigated the effect of area sizes (4 × 4, 6 × 6, and 8 × 8 m) and effort-pause ratios (free combat vs. 1:2) variation on the physiological and perceptive responses during taekwondo combats (Study 1). In a second study, the effects on physical performance of 8 weeks of small combat-based training added to regular taekwondo training were investigated (Study 2). In random order, 32 male taekwondo athletes performed six (i.e., two effort-to-pause ratios × three area sizes conditions) different 2-min taekwondo combats (Study 1). Thereafter (Study 2), they were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (4 × 4, 6 × 6, and 8 × 8 m) and an active control group (CG). Regarding Study 1, blood lactate concentration [La] before and after each combat, mean heart rate (HRmean) during each combat, and rating of perceived exertion (CR-10) immediately after each combat were assessed. Regarding Study 2, progressive specific taekwondo (PSTT) to estimate maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), taekwondo-specific agility, and countermovement jump (CMJ) tests were administered before and after 8 weeks of training. Study 1 results showed that 4 × 4 m elicited lower HRmean values compared with 6 × 6 m (d = −0.42 [small], p = 0.030) and free combat induced higher values compared with the 1:2 ratio (d = 1.71 [large], p < 0.001). For [La]post, 4 × 4 m area size induced higher values than 6 × 6 m (d = 0.99 [moderate], p < 0.001) and 8 × 8 m (d = 0.89 [moderate], p < 0.001) and free combat induced higher values than 1:2 ratio (d = 0.69 [moderate], p < 0.001). Higher CR-10 scores were registered after free combat compared with 1:2 ratio (d = 0.44 [small], p = 0.007). For Study 2, VO2max increased after training [F (1, 56) =30.532, p < 0.001; post-hoc: d = 1.27 [large], p < 0.001] with higher values for 4 × 4 m compared with CG (d = 1.15 [moderate], p = 0.009). Agility performance improved after training [F (1, 56) = 4.419, p = 0.04; post-hoc: d = −0.46 [small], p = 0.04] and 4 × 4 m induced lower values in comparison with 6 × 6 m (d = −1.56 [large], p = 0.001) and CG (d = −0.77 [moderate], p = 0.049). No training type influenced CMJ performance. Smaller area size elicited contrasting results in terms of metabolic demand compared with larger sizes (i.e., lower HRmean but higher [La] and CR-10), whereas free combat induced variables' consistently higher values compared with imposed 1:2 ratio (Study 1). Taekwondo training is effective to improve VO2max and agility (Study 2), but small combat training modality should be investigated further.

Maturation-, age-, and sex-specific anthropometric and physical fitness percentiles of German elite young athletes

The aim of this study was to establish maturation-, age-, and sex-specific anthropometric and physical fitness percentile reference values of young elite athletes from various sports. Anthropometric (i.e., standing and sitting body height, body mass, body mass index) and physical fitness (i.e., countermovement jump, drop jump, change-of-direction speed [i.e., T-test], trunk muscle endurance [i.e., ventral Bourban test], dynamic lower limbs balance [i.e., Y-balance test], hand grip strength) of 703 male and female elite young athletes aged 8–18 years were collected to aggregate reference values according to maturation, age, and sex. Findings indicate that body height and mass were significantly higher (p<0.001; 0.95≤d≤1.74) in more compared to less mature young athletes as well as with increasing chronological age (p<0.05; 0.66≤d≤3.13). Furthermore, male young athletes were significantly taller and heavier compared to their female counterparts (p<0.001; 0.34≤d≤0.50). In terms of physical fitness, post-pubertal athletes showed better countermovement jump, drop jump, change-of-direction, and handgrip strength performances (p<0.001; 1.57≤d≤8.72) compared to pubertal athletes. Further, countermovement jump, drop jump, change-of-direction, and handgrip strength performances increased with increasing chronological age (p<0.05; 0.29≤d≤4.13). In addition, male athletes outperformed their female counterpart in the countermovement jump, drop jump, change-of-direction, and handgrip strength (p<0.05; 0.17≤d≤0.76). Significant age by sex interactions indicate that sex-specific differences were even more pronounced with increasing age. Conclusively, body height, body mass, and physical fitness increased with increasing maturational status and chronological age. Sex-specific differences appear to be larger as youth grow older. Practitioners can use the percentile values as approximate benchmarks for talent identification and development.

Effects of one week different intensity endurance exercise on cardiorespiratory and cardiometabolic markers in junior young athletes

BackgroundEndurance training in varied intensity zones are more likely to show different adaptive responses. However, it is still unclear the intensity level of endurance exercise in junior young athletes that...

A Khorasan wheat-based diet improves systemic inflammatory profile in semi-professional basketball players: a randomized crossover pilot study.

Khorasan wheat is an ancient grain with widely acclaimed beneficial effects on human health. The objective of the study was to examine the effect of a Khorasan-based diet on the wellbeing and inflammatory profile of young athletes. We conducted a randomized, single-blinded crossover trial involving 20 male young athletes. The participants were randomly assigned to consume products (pasta, bread, biscuits and crackers) made either with Khorasan (KAMUT® brand) or modern semi-whole-grain wheat for 4-weeks with a 4-week washout period before the crossover. Laboratory analyses and fitness tests were performed both at the beginning and end of each diet period. The consumption of Khorasan products was associated with a significant reduction of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1; mean reduction: -36.15 pg/mL; -25.67%) while the consumption of modern wheat was not associated with significant differences in Interleukin-8 (IL-8) or Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). The consumption of the Khorasan-based diet also resulted in a significant improvement in self-rated health status. No statistically significant differences in any athletic performance parameter were observed between the two diets. The present results suggest that a Khorasan-based diet could be effective in reducing the inflammatory status in young athletes. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of ubiquinol supplementation on biochemical and oxidative stress indexes after intense exercise in young athletes

ABSTRACTObjectives: Physical exercise significantly impacts the biochemistry of the organism. Ubiquinone is a key component of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and ubiquinol, its reduced and active form, is an emerging molecule in sport nutrition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ubiquinol supplementation on biochemical and oxidative stress indexes after an intense bout of exercise.Methods: 21 male young athletes (26 + 5 years of age) were randomized in two groups according to a double blind cross-over study, either supplemented with ubiquinol (200 mg/day) or placebo for 1 month. Blood was withdrawn before and after a single bout of intense exercise (40 min run at 85% maxHR). Physical performance, hematochemical parameters, ubiquinone/ubiquinol plasma content, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, paraoxonase activity and oxidative DNA damage were analyzed.Results: A single bout of intense exercise produced a significant increase in most hematochemical indexes, in particular CK and Mb while, on the contrary, normalized coenzyme Q10 plasma content decreased significantly in all subjects. Ubiquinol supplementation prevented exercise-induced CoQ deprivation and decrease in paraoxonase activity. Moreover at a cellular level, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, ubiquinol supplementation was associated with a significant decrease in cytosolic ROS while mitochondrial membrane potential and oxidative DNA damage remained unchanged.Discussion: Data highlights a very rapid dynamic of CoQ depletion following intense exercise underlying an increased demand by the organism. Ubiquinol supplementation minimized exercise-induced depletion and enhanced plasma and cellular antioxidant levels but it was not able to improve physical performance indexes or markers of muscular damage.

THE EFFECTS OF STRENGTH, BALANCE AND COMBINED (STRENGTH AND BALANCE) EXERCISE PROGRAMS ON THE DYNAMIC BALANCE OF YOUNG MALE ATHLETES

Introduction: It has been stated that adolescents are at greater risk of suffering sport injuries than younger children with peak injury rates occurring in the oldest adolescent age group. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of strength, balance and combined (strength and balance) exercise programs on the dynamic balance of young male athletes. Materials and Methods: Sixty 14-to-17-year-old young male athletes (mean weight 62.79 ± 3.62 kg; mean height 171.1 ± 4.46 cm) without any lower extremity injury, vestibular and/or visual problems voluntarily participated in this study. The subjects were randomly assigned to one the following groups: 1) Strength exercise, 2) Balance exercise, 3) Balance exercise and 4) control group. The SEBT test was used before and after exercise programs in order to test dynamic balance. Descriptive as well as statistical analysis including repeated measure tests, paired t test and ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test were conducted (P-value was set at 0.05). Results: The study results showed significant increase in reaching distance in all directions after strength, balance and combined (strength and balance) exercise programs. It was also shown that increase in reaching distance following combined exercises was more than that resulting either after the balance or after strength exercises individually (P > 0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that six weeks of balance training programs was able to produce a significant increase in dynamic balance in young male athletes. Because young male athletes are not initially able to stand pressure of exercise and special sport skills, it may be useful to trainers to provide their trainees with an adequate level of balance through combined exercises. Keywords: Strength, Balance, Dynamic balance, Male young athletes

Bone Loss and Fracture Risk After Reduced Physical Activity

Former male young athletes partially lost benefits in BMD (g/cm2) with cessation of exercise, but, despite this, had a higher BMD 4 years after cessation of career than a control group. A higher BMD might contribute to the lower incidence of fragility fractures found in former older athletes > or =60 years of age compared with a control group. Physical activity increases peak bone mass and may prevent osteoporosis if a residual high BMD is retained into old age. BMD was measured by DXA in 97 male young athletes 21.0 +/- 4.5 years of age (SD) and 48 controls 22.4 +/- 6.3 years of age, with measurements repeated 5 years later, when 55 of the athletes had retired from sports. In a second, older cohort, fracture incidence was recorded in 400 former older athletes and 800 controls > or =60 years of age. At baseline, the young athletes had higher BMD than controls in total body (mean difference, 0.08 g/cm2), spine (mean difference, 0.10 g/cm2), femoral neck (mean difference, 0.13 g/cm2), and arms (mean difference, 0.05 g/cm2; all p < 0.001). During the follow-up period, the young athletes who retired lost more BMD than the still active athletes at the femoral neck (mean difference, 0.07 g/cm2; p = 0.001) and gained less BMD at the total body (mean difference, 0.03 g/cm2; p = 0.004). Nevertheless, BMD was still higher in the retired young athletes (mean difference, 0.06-0.08 g/cm2) than in the controls in the total body, femoral neck, and arms (all p < 0.05). In the older cohort, there were fewer former athletes > or =60 of age than controls with fragility fractures (2.0% versus 4.2%; p < 0.05) and distal radius fractures (0.75% versus 2.5%; p < 0.05). Although exercise-induced BMD benefits are reduced after retirement from sports, former male older athletes have fewer fractures than matched controls.